Three Minute Thesis competition awards quick thinkers
What’s the fastest you’ve ever explained your work to someone?
Graduate students at Southern Illinois University took that challenge to the next level during the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition at the Carbondale campus on Friday, February 14.
The 3MT is a research communication competition that was originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008. The contest has grown in popularity, and 3MT contests now occur at more than 600 universities and institutions in 65 countries.
The 3MT competition challenges students to summarize their research for a non-specialist audience using only three minutes of speech and a single PowerPoint slide, following pre-determined guidelines.
This year, more than a dozen students from SIU science and humanities graduate programs participated in the event.
Following a tie-breaker, Sandhya Jayasekara (pictured above) won first place and received an $800 cash award. She will represent SIU in the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) 3MT Competition during the 81st MAGS Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, April 2-4.
Her PhD research focuses on genetically engineering cyanophages, which are viruses that infect cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. The goal is to lower the toxicity of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) that can impact human and animal health, while bolstering the global economy.
She credits her research advisor Dr. Lahiru Jayakody, and colleagues Lakshika, Bhagya, Dushmantha, Isabelle, Anne, Elwood and Kate for helping her prepare.
“It was a marvelous experience,” Jayasekara said. “I doubted myself a lot at first, but then I understood that I should start enjoying the moment.”
Sujata Pandey (at right, with Dr. Karen Jones) was also awarded first place and $800 in the close competition. Originally from Nepal, Pandey is a PhD candidate in the Pharmacology and Neuroscience program in Springfield. Her research focuses on hearing loss, specifically exploring signaling pathways involved in otoprotection against drug- and noise-induced damage.
Pandey said striking the right balance for her presentation "required a new level of communication skill, making this experience both rewarding and unforgettable."
Third place went to Annie Vargas-Lizarazo, a PhD candidate in the School of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences. Annie is from Colombia, South America.
